Immortal Bond
by Foxboy614
Summary: Shadow and Tikal spend a romantic evening together, where Shadow asks Tikal one of the most important questions of his immortal life. Shameless Shadow X Tikal love. Rated T just to be safe. Requested by ultimateCCC. I OWN NOTHING! Sequel chapter soon.


**I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog, or any of the characters used here. I am merely a fan doing this for fun.  
* This story was requested to me by ultimateCCC. He wanted to see a Shadow X Tikal story. While I do have a story going on at the moment that'll eventually lead to a Shadow X OC story some time in the future, I still like the pairing of Shadow and Tikal.  
Anyways, ultimateCCC, I hope you enjoy it.**

It was a beautiful day on Angel Island. The sun was starting to set, setting a beautiful atmosphere, perfect for romance. The sky was painted in beautiful shades or orange, red, purple, and yellow, and the setting sun cast a warm glow upon the island.

Meanwhile, in another part of the island, near a wide, beautiful lake, Tikal was sitting with her bare feet in the water, watching the Chao play and have fun. A warm smile was on her face the whole time. These Chao, even in spite of how little she gets to see them, see her as their mom and love her so dearly. And the sight of a certain black one with red streaks in its "quills" reminded her of another very special person to her; Shadow.

In the time Tikal has been out of the Master Emerald, she and Shadow became very close. And what started as friendship soon blossomed into something else; love. She has often asked herself how she grew to love him; he was always so cold, so distant, so aloof. But Tikal was determined to help him loosen up and make new friends, so she kept trying to get him to be more social without becoming forceful. And while she hadn't intended to fall in love with him, their close friendship created fertile ground for a romance to bloom between them. And their interactions through the days planted the seed.

Not only has Shadow been good for her, and vise-versa, but the same went for the Chao. Shadow never really gave them much thought before, but ever since he started dating Tikal, he's become a father-figure to them. One had even adopted an appearance similar to Shadow, which Shadow named Junior. Tikal has been teaching Shadow how to properly raise a Chao, in case he ever gets one for himself. He seemed nervous at first, but when she saw how he handled Junior, she knew he'd be fine. Also, seeing him play and be happy around the Chao also made her think he'd make a good dad. The thought of her and Shadow raising a child entered her head, and she couldn't help but sigh dreamily.

But while Tikal had her questions of why she loved him, it was also clear to her on multiple occasions. She got to see a kinder, warmer, more gentle side to him that even Rouge didn't get to see often. She got the chance to see a soft, compassionate man deep within his cold and rough exterior. She was the one who had managed to make Shadow, the most reclusive and introvertive man she's ever met open up and enjoy life. True, she knew he had to have moments where he was serious, but when he was with her, he seemed to change into a completely different hedgehog; one that hardly resembled his normal self. During her visits, she even learned a few things about Shadow no one else knew. Some things were silly; like how he was ticklish on his tummy, or that he tended to growl in a playfully feral way when he kissed her neck. Other things were rather cute; like how he loved to cuddle with her and he would twirl her quills around his finger as they kissed. Tikal sighed dreamily.

Tikal was so caught up in her thinking, she didn't even hear the footsteps from behind approaching her. But the Chao were happy to see whoever it was behind her. She was confused at first. She stood up and turned around to see who the Chao were so excited to see, only to meet with an arm looping around her waist and a set of lips softly pressed against hers. Tikal was momentarily stunned, but when she figured out who it was, she relaxed and closed her eyes, allowing herself to kiss back as her arms snaked around his neck. Soon, the two pulled away with a smile.

"Hello, Shadow." she greeted sweetly. Shadow smiled and cupped her cheek in his hand, softly rubbing her cheek with his thumb.  
"Good evening, Tikal." he greeted warmly. "How's life been?"  
"It's been good." Tikal told him. "I was just spending time with the Chao." she gestured over to the Chao, who were watching the two Mobians kissing a while ago. "Ok, Chao. You can come up and talk to Shadow now." she told them. The Chao let out happy and excited cheers and ran towards Shadow. Shadow sat with his legs criss-crossed and his arms open wide as the Chao hugged him, even making him fall over laughing.  
Even with as tough a guy Shadow is, he still has a soft spot for the little cuties. Especially the one that looked like him.  
"Chao chao!" Junior greeted excitedly.  
"Hey, little man." Shadow said with a smile as he pulled the little guy in and gently rubbed his nose against his, making Junior giggle happily.  
"He's missed you, you know." Tikal said.  
"I know… I'm sorry I haven't officially adopted you. It's just… I don't know how to raise you guys that well." Shadow apologized to the black Chao. The Chao hugged Shadow though to let him know he was ok. Shadow smiled and returned the hug.

"So… what brings you here?" Tikal asked, curious as to why Shadow wanted to see her.  
"Oh… right. I forgot." he said as he got up. "There's a couple of things, actually."  
"Like what?" Tikal asked.  
"Well… first, some very good news; Knuckles has been reading this special book used by his ancestors, and one thing he found, if our hunch is correct, will allow you to stay out of the Master Emerald without fear of harmful consequences." Shadow told her. "You can stay in our time for as long as you want!" Tikal was overjoyed to hear that.  
"Why, that… that's amazing!" she exclaimed happily, throwing her arms around Shadow's neck, hugging him tightly. "So that means I can finally live in this time-line!"  
"That is correct." Shadow replied with a smile.

Tikal was overjoyed; there's a big chance that she can finally break free from the Master Emerald and live a life with her new friends. With Shadow; the love of her immortal life. She truly hoped that what Shadow said was true. True, she has enjoyed being with Chaos 0, but since she spent time with Shadow and the others, she's longed for the day where she could finally leave the Emerald and stay in their time-line without it harming her.

"And… what was the other thing you needed to tell me?" Tikal asked. Shadow's muzzle became a shade of red that matched the streaks in his quills. Despite how long he's known Tikal, and how close they've come, he could still become a nervous wreck around her.  
"Well… actually..." Shadow began nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "I need to ASK you something."  
"Oh?" Tikal asked, tilting her head to the side. "What is it?"

"Look… Tikal..." Shadow began as he took her hand in his. "I know that we've known each other for a long time, correct?"  
"Yes." Tikal said, unsure of where he was going with this.  
"And… in that time… you've helped me to open up and be a better person than I was before-hand. I still have my slip-ups, and I can still slip into my cold and distant self. But the fact that you've stayed with me in spite of those instances speaks great volume about our love. I know I don't deserve the love you've given me, but I'm very grateful and happy that you have given it to me." Shadow said, progressively shedding his nervous attitude. "You're a very important and special person to me. And… if you'll allow me… I'll continue to stay true to our love and protect you until the end of time."  
Tikal was starting to put two and two together, getting an idea of what Shadow was about to say and do. And she was right; Shadow got down on one knee and pulled out a small box. The Chao were starting to get a bit excited from the anticipation.  
"So, Tikal… Will… Will you… marry me?" Shadow asked as opened the box, presenting a gold ring with a shiny onyx stone with two red diamond-shaped gems, one on each side. Tikal guessed it was meant to imitate Shadow himself, but she still thought it was a beautiful ring.

Tikal felt her heart burst with joy and happiness. With a tear streaking down her face, she threw her arms around Shadow's neck, tackling him to the ground and hugging him tightly. Shadow hugged back as the Chao were jumping and shouting with glee. They knew they were going to be getting a dad.  
"Yes, yes, A THOUSAND TIMES YES!" Tikal cried happily into Shadow's chest. Shadow smiled probably the biggest and warmest smile in his life and hugged her close to him. And they stayed like that for awhile; they were cuddling tenderly and lovingly.

When they finally got up, Shadow attempted to put the ring on her, but she held her finger up, shaking it in a denying manner. Shadow was confused at first, but when he saw her give him a smirk, a trait she isn't know for doing, and tossed Shadow behind her into the water, which was deep enough to not hurt him. When he resurfaced, he shot a glare over at Tikal; but it was a playful one to let her know he wasn't mad. He also noticed her taking off her jewelry. Shadow turned away when she started to take her top and skirt off.  
"Ok, now you're safe to look." Tikal said. Shadow turned around, and his face blushed deeply, and his eyes shot open wide. Tikal was standing before him wearing only her undergarments. They were a pale-cream color, and the top was a tube top. At that point, Shadow got to truly see her beautiful body, her smooth curves, and her beautiful legs. Tikal stood there holding her hands together, smiling bashfully and her muzzle was glowing pink.  
"Sorry. It's just… I've never let a man see this much of my body before." sh told him shyly. But Shadow smiled and got out of the water, walked towards Tikal, then looped one arm around her waist and pulled her in for a sweet and tender kiss.  
"Tikal… you look absolutely beautiful. Besides, you don't have to worry about; I love you for who you are in here." he said warmly as he gestured to her heart. Tikal smiled and kissed his cheek. The Chao "aww'ed" at their affectionate actions to each other and decided to leave and give them some privacy.

Soon, the two made their way back into the water. Shadow held Tikal's hand in his as they waded back out into the water. When they were in the deeper end, the two began to swim together, each giggling with happiness. Soon, the two went underwater and began to perform what looked like an underwater dance, each gazing into the other's eyes and smiling. The two wish they could've stayed underwater longer, but they had to resurface and catch their breath.

Once back on the surface, Shadow pulled Tikal close to him and wrapped his arms around her waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Shadow smiled lovingly at her and caressed her cheek with his hand before moving it to the back of her head and pulling her in for another kiss. Tikal happily returned the kiss as Shadow began to rub her back softly. The two each let out long and happy sighs in the kiss, each one's head up in the clouds. But Shadow broke the kiss and suggested they move to more shallow ground. Shadow looked around and noticed a special area blocked off by a few rocks. He deducted that it was meant for the Chao to swim in. He felt that it was a good place for him and Tikal to resume their kissing. So he took her by the hand again and they made their way towards the shallow water.

Once there, Shadow and Tikal looked around to make sure no one was watching them. Once they saw that they were alone, he each looked at each other while smiling lovingly. The brought each other in for another kiss. After a few moments, both tilted their heads to the side and opened their mouths to deepen the kiss. Tikal honestly wasn't expecting to meet his tongue in the middle with her own, but it sent a warm wave of pleasure searing through them both as their tongues began to dance slowly and lovingly with each other. Shadow moaned softly in the kiss; Tikal tasted so sweet to him. Her taste was intoxicating. In a swift motion, he lifted her up by the back of her smooth thighs and Tikal responded by wrapping her legs around his waist as they both withdrew their tongues. Tikal arched her back with a soft moan when she felt Shadow gently nibble her bottom lip. Tikal loved it when Shadow showed her his passionate side.

She then decided to show him a playful side as she unwrapped her legs and tackled Shadow to the ground before straddling his lap, smiling playfully at him. Shadow chuckled a bit, but Tikal cut it short by pressing her lips against his and slipping her tongue back into his mouth. Shadow rolled them over so that he was now on top and kissed back, his tongue once more thrusting into her warm, moist, and sweet mouth. As their tongues wrestled and danced, Shadow ran his hands up and down the sides of her body, being careful not to touch her privates while Tikal rubbed his shoulders, upper back and neck. They held themselves back from going too far, as they wanted to wait until they were officially married before that went that far. Tikal moaned in Shadow's mouth when he gave her thigh a gentle squeze.

While they wished they could stay like that longer, once more, the need to breathe made them break away. As they were catching their breath, Shadow rested his forhead against Tikal's. But then Shadow got off of her and looped his arms underneath her so he was now carrying her bridal style. He sat down along the edge of the lake where she had set her clothes down at, and he sat her down in his lap and began to kiss her neck. Tikal moaned at this, and Shadow decided to turn it up a notch and started to gently nibble her neck, making her moan louder. Soon, Shadow was looking around for her sweet spot, and he knew he found it when he hear Tikal moan his name in pleasure. He then began to suck on that spot gently. When he was done, he decided to just cuddle with her a while as he caressed her leg. Tikal sighed happily and leaned over to pick up the black box. Shadow took the ring out and slipped it onto her finger. It fir her perfectly. She smiled and hugged him tightly, which he was happy to return.

"It's beautiful Shadow. Thank you." Tikal said.  
"It may be beautiful, but it doesn't compare to you." Shadow told her warmly. Tikal smiled.  
"I love you, Shadow the Hedgehog." Tikal said.  
"And I love you, Tikal the Echidna." Shadow replied, kissing her on the lips once more. This one was another passionate kiss; one they both poured the love of their hearts into. Once they pulled away, Shadow spoke up once more.

"Tikal… although we live in two different times, the day we can finally be together in one time shall come. And when that day comes, I will welcome it, as well as you, with open arms. Soon, you shall no longer be forced to be confined to the Master Emerald, and you will be able to live your own life, and we shall be united once more. For our love is like us; immortal and undying. And regardless of whatever obstacle may come our way, I shall never leave you, or forsake you. I shall stand by you through thick and thin, for better or for worse. For you are my one love forever, and my one love alone. Even when this world dies off, our love shall not. It shall burn brightly like a star in the sky until the end of time."

Tikal's eyes well up with tears, and she wrapped her arms tightly around Shadow's neck, crying with joy.  
"Shadow… that was beautiful." she said with a sniffle. "I'm going to really hate going back into the Master Emerald tonight. I wish I could stay here with you forever."  
"That day is coming soon, my love. But until then, keep that ring with you." Shadow said.  
"I will, Shadow. I shall treasure it forever." Tikal told him.  
"And don't worry about the Chao. I shall take care of them to the best of my ability. I'll do what I can to be the father they see me as, and I shall love them as if they were my own sons and daughters." Shadow told her. Tikal smiled and kissed him on the cheek, and then on his neck. Shadow blushed and smiled at her.  
"I have no doubt that you will make a fine father." she told him sweetly. Shadow smiled.

Soon, the two stood up and Tikal put her normal clothes back on. Shadow went to wait over by a tree to watch the sunset. Tikal joined him and sat on his lap as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Soon, they heard some calm and romantic music. They turned their heads to the source, and were surprised to see the Chao were the ones making the music. And Junior was conducting it like an orchestra! He turned to his "father" and gave him a nod. Shadow nodded back at his "son".

Tikal and Shadow wished they could stay like that forever. Both in the arms of the one they love. Tonight was going to be rough for the two, since they would have to part ways at the end of this otherwise perfect day. But they knew, deep down, that Tikal would finally be able to leave the Emerald, and she will be able to be with Shadow once more, but for the rest of her life. Neither could wait for that day to come.

Nothing was going to break their immortal bond.

 *** So, what do you think? Too sappy? Too OOC? Either way, let me know how I did. If you enjoyed this story, check out my others as well if you'd like. I may do some more Shadikal one-shots in the future. And as for the Shadow X OC story I mentioned, I may do it here, or on my DeviantArt page.  
Anyways, ultimateCCC, I hope you enjoyed it. Sorry I couldn't give the Chao a bigger role, though.  
With that said, I'm Foxboy614, and as always, I'll see y'all next time. GOD BLESS AND STAY SAFE!**


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